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Ferruginous Hawks are similar to the much more common and widespread Red- tailed Hawk. Ferruginous Hawks come in a light "morph" and a rarer dark morph, and the bird we saw on Feb. 7 was a light morph. Everyone on the bird walk saw the key field mark of the light morph: white underparts and rusty legs that form a V when the bird is soaring. Ferruginous Hawks breed on the prairies of the north-central U.S. and winter in a variety of open habitats from California east to Texas and south into northern Mexico. They hunt small mammals such as rabbits, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and pocket gophers. The male and female jointly build the three-foot-high by three-foot-wide nest of sticks, twigs, sagebrush stems, plastic/metal debris, and sometimes bones. Ferruginous Hawks winter in small numbers in southwestern California and are reportable on rare bird alerts in our area. Sightings in our area are in open fields around Perris and Hemet, which is the western edge of their winter range. The fly over on Feb. 7 was probably one of these birds on an outing in search of small-mammal chow. ~ Steve Edelman Birding CLUB Bird of the Month The Birding Club welcomes beginning and experienced birders to start or hone bird identification skills. Our main activity is a monthly bird walk along Four Seasons' nature trails, which follow native riparian woodlands. We keep a list of all species observed at Four Seasons and take seasonal field trips to nearby birding hotspots. Our February bird walk was delayed by rain until Feb. 7, when a half dozen Four Seasons birds and birders enjoyed a sunny, brisk morning on Trails A and B. The highlights were two surprising Four Seasons first records: a Downy Woodpecker that came really close for excellent views and a Ferruginous Hawk (Bird of the Month) that soared overhead as it was chased by a Common Raven. Another highlight included a bird walk-first Cassin's Kingbird. There were lots of Northern Flickers (a large woodpecker) and by the end of the walk Lavonne Andres, a beginning birder, was telling males from females. Mountain Chickadees, American Robins, and Cedar Waxwings were present in numbers and added to the bird walk total of 21 species. We meet on the first Saturday of the month at 8 am at the Potrero Creek (Trail A) trailhead at The Lodge parking lot. Email steve.h.edelman@gmail.com for current schedule and information. The adult male Northern Flicker (the female lacks the red mustache) Photo by club member Jesse Martinez Light-morph Ferruginous Hawk. Photo by Kent Keller, Utah Birds FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MARCH 2019 37 Tails & Trails - All Pets YOU HAVE A PET PROBLEM; TAILS & TRAILS IS HERE TO HELP There is no doubt that our community has gained a pet- friendly reputation, which is great for ALL our residents. Pet parents know they are supported. Other residents can take pride that we have pro-active residents who are willing to assist with pet problems and help reinforce individual accountability for all matters related to pet ownership. We'd like to highlight some of our charter to help you become better acquainted with us. We are here to help keep people and their pets together! At our age, we must sometimes confront the sad reality that we can no longer care properly for our pets. Every situation is different, so if you are ever in this situation, reach out to us. We will learn more about your challenges and provide guidance and, in many cases, help you keep your pet with you or help with safe rehoming if necessary. We protect lost/found pets. We have a strong track record of recovering stray and lost pets and reuniting them with their owners or getting them to safety. Our methods are state-of-the-art, time- tested, and effective. If your pet goes missing, one of the best things you can do is call us. We educate and advocate! Our members and partners are knowledgeable about a host of pet-related matters, including behavioral challenges, safety, pet adoption, and more. When we can't help, we will find excellent professional resources to assist. We have great working relationships with community committees, our Board of Directors, and FirstService Residential, so we are also able to advocate for strengthened rules and awareness. We are solution- seekers addressing concerns from a pro-active footing. We don't yet know all the ways we can assist, so we invite inquiries when pet parents or others could use some help. Contact us at (951) 295-7209, visit us on Facebook at Four Seasons Tails and Trails, or attend one of our meetings. Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/FourSeasonsTnT/. Our March general meeting will be March 26 at 4 pm in the RCN – always check the Daily Report for any schedule changes. If you have not yet registered, please be sure to check at The Lodge for materials for the upcoming Ramona Humane Society fundraiser on March 16. ~ Martha Baumgarten

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